I put off changing my diff bushings mainly due to lack of a garage... If I had known the stock bushings looked like this, I would have done this a LOT sooner.
Of note, I have only taken my car to the drag strip once and I don't really beat on it.
The job is long mainly due to how much gets taken apart. It's not a HARD job by any means, just time consuming.
Stock Rear Bushing pics: You can see where it started to roll inside the bracket, the sidewall was damaged as well. Nasty!
Stock Front Bushings: (prepare yourself!) I was shocked at just how bad they were! I was surprised to see the material had melted. I can tell you replacing them makes the IRS feel a lot better.
Also did my endlinks as well. As you can see, the stud snapped off. I got creative.... I used a dead blow hammer with a long screwdriver to crack open the plastic backside. Then I simply drilled out the grey plastic pieces around the ball. Once I got the bar off the ball, I used a vice grip and a ratcheting box end wrench to make short work of the task.
Some tips:
Get a set of Gearwrench style ratcheting box end wrenches like in the link below. They come in SOOOOOOOO handy! Of note, I know those are standard, and not metric but sears carries metric too. You can also find off brands at other places (harbor freight) for a bit cheaper. Make sure you pick up 15, 18 and 19mm wrenches. I have every metric size from 8mm to 19mm.
GearWrench 8 Pc. XL Combination Ratcheting Wrench Set, Standard
I highly suggest having a mini spot lamp to help you see in some of the darker areas. I bought 2 from Meijer that use a 13watt lamp, they are plenty bright.
If you don't have an extra set of jacks, I suggest buying another pair from autozone, they are only $20 for the pair.
I also got these adapters that craftsman has where you slide it into a socket and use a open end wrench to turn the socket vs using a socket wrench at an odd angle.
Get some penetrating lube for the hardware, some of it can be a PITA to get loose.
Make sure you have some safety wire or extra rope/cord to secure the exhaust up out of the way and to secure the drive shaft out of the way as well.
I used bright green tape to mark the drive shaft to rear diff flange orientation too.
If you have the Low-profile IRS bolts and want to be able to remove/install them easier get a allen key socket set. This is especially helpful when torquing the low profiles down. Allen 3/8 in. drive, 7 pc. Metric Hex Bit Socket Set
Don't forget a torque wrench!! I got one that did 20 to 150Ft lbs. Just a note, you need (IIRC) one that can go up to 184ft lbs for the LCA front bushing.
I'm sure there is more that I'm forgetting... the main thing I want to stress here is closely inspect and then replace your bushings if you haven't yet! lol
Hope this helps some guys/gals on here!:beer:
Of note, I have only taken my car to the drag strip once and I don't really beat on it.
The job is long mainly due to how much gets taken apart. It's not a HARD job by any means, just time consuming.
Stock Rear Bushing pics: You can see where it started to roll inside the bracket, the sidewall was damaged as well. Nasty!
Stock Front Bushings: (prepare yourself!) I was shocked at just how bad they were! I was surprised to see the material had melted. I can tell you replacing them makes the IRS feel a lot better.
Also did my endlinks as well. As you can see, the stud snapped off. I got creative.... I used a dead blow hammer with a long screwdriver to crack open the plastic backside. Then I simply drilled out the grey plastic pieces around the ball. Once I got the bar off the ball, I used a vice grip and a ratcheting box end wrench to make short work of the task.
Some tips:
Get a set of Gearwrench style ratcheting box end wrenches like in the link below. They come in SOOOOOOOO handy! Of note, I know those are standard, and not metric but sears carries metric too. You can also find off brands at other places (harbor freight) for a bit cheaper. Make sure you pick up 15, 18 and 19mm wrenches. I have every metric size from 8mm to 19mm.
GearWrench 8 Pc. XL Combination Ratcheting Wrench Set, Standard
I highly suggest having a mini spot lamp to help you see in some of the darker areas. I bought 2 from Meijer that use a 13watt lamp, they are plenty bright.
If you don't have an extra set of jacks, I suggest buying another pair from autozone, they are only $20 for the pair.
I also got these adapters that craftsman has where you slide it into a socket and use a open end wrench to turn the socket vs using a socket wrench at an odd angle.
Get some penetrating lube for the hardware, some of it can be a PITA to get loose.
Make sure you have some safety wire or extra rope/cord to secure the exhaust up out of the way and to secure the drive shaft out of the way as well.
I used bright green tape to mark the drive shaft to rear diff flange orientation too.
If you have the Low-profile IRS bolts and want to be able to remove/install them easier get a allen key socket set. This is especially helpful when torquing the low profiles down. Allen 3/8 in. drive, 7 pc. Metric Hex Bit Socket Set
Don't forget a torque wrench!! I got one that did 20 to 150Ft lbs. Just a note, you need (IIRC) one that can go up to 184ft lbs for the LCA front bushing.
I'm sure there is more that I'm forgetting... the main thing I want to stress here is closely inspect and then replace your bushings if you haven't yet! lol
Hope this helps some guys/gals on here!:beer:
